Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 13, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lackadaisical
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| Article of the Day | |
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 The Doberman PinscherOften used in police work, the Doberman pinscher is a breed of dog with a great capacity for training and a reputation for loyalty and intelligence, making it an excellent companion. Its short tail is the result of docking, a procedure in which most of the tail is amputated shortly after birth. The dogs are named for Louis Dobermann, who created the breed in 19th-century Germany by crossing German sheepherding dogs with the Rottweiler and Manchester terrier. What does "pinscher" mean in German? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Successful Escape from an Aircraft Using the Ejection Seat (1942)Ejection seats are used in aircraft to quickly propel occupants out in an emergency. Today, they are fired by an explosive charge, but the first ejection seats were powered by compressed air. One of the first aircrafts to be fitted with such a system was the German Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter. While testing the He 280 during WWII, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to use an ejection seat to make an emergency escape from an aircraft. What went wrong during his test flight? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Antoinette Bourignon (1616)Bourignon was a Flemish Christian mystic. After spending a short time in a convent and as head of an orphanage, she gathered a fanatical following at Amsterdam, believing herself divinely directed to restore the pure spirit of the Gospel. Moving from place to place, she took her printing press with her and disseminated her teachings. Her mystical ideas found particular favor in Scotland, where Bourignianism was declared a heresy. Why did Bourignon flee her home in 1636? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Ignorance... is a painless evil; so, I should think, is dirt, considering the merry faces that go along with it.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hold (one's) water— To be calm or patient; to stop making pressing demands, requests, or solicitations. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Death of George Fox (2017)George Fox (1624-1691) was the founder of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, which he organized in 1650 to protest the overly formal religion of his time. Fox believed that creeds and scriptures were unimportant in religion; all that really counted was the divine light of Christ as it manifested itself in all people. Church was merely a gathering of friends who were guided by the Inner Light and who were thus able to provide guidance for each other. Quakers all over the world observe the anniversary of their founder's death in their meetinghouses. More... | |
| In the News | |
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 Pope Encourages Breastfeeding in Sistine ChapelDuring a baptism ceremony for 33 fussy infants in the Sistine Chapel last weekend, Pope Francis broke from his prepared homily to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children in the chapel if necessary. Addressing the mothers directly, he used the Italian term for "breastfeed," which was not part of his prepared remarks. The pope used the occasion to remind the congregation of the many children around the world who do not have enough food. More... | |